By Lesley Iracheta
After six years of students asking for a cheer club, Stomp and Shake finally made its first appearance at the Powder Puff game. The club gave students a chance to show their school spirit, support the players, and be part of something new at school.
According to Mrs. Kinnett, students had been asking for a cheer club for six years. To prepare for their first event, the cheerleaders practiced every day and worked together to learn their cheers.
For many of the students, performing in front of a crowd was exciting but also nerve racking. Lily McKinney joined because she wanted to see what Stomp and Shake was all about. Even though she felt nervous, she enjoyed the experience. “My favorite part was the atmosphere that the game had the whole time,” McKinney said. She hopes the club continues participating in future events because she thinks it “could go far.”
Patience Lee joined after her friends encouraged her to try the club. She was nervous before performing but became more comfortable as the event went on. Lee said it felt good to “bring something new to the school” and hopes the club brings more school spirit to future games.
Other students enjoyed being part of the club as well. Kennedy Griggs joined because she had cheered for three years and wanted to continue cheering in high school. Ayanna Saunders enjoyed showing the crowd what she could do and her gaining confidence. “I built confidence to go out and perform in front of the crowd,” Saunders said.
Getting ready for the event came with a few challenges. Mrs. Kinnett said the biggest challenge was “time,” while Griggs said getting dressed in under three minutes was difficult. Despite these challenges, the cheerleaders worked together to get ready for their first performance.
Mrs. Kinnett said she was “very proud of them” when she saw the students perform. One of her favorite moments from the game was Joyce Pullen making a “touchdown.” Although some students were unable to attend, she felt the first event went well.
Moving forward, the club hopes to take part in more school events and continue improving. Mrs. Kinnett said her goals are “just to have fun and improve.” After their first performance, the cheerleaders are excited to keep cheering, building their skills, and bringing more school spirit to future games.